Gender Discrimination and Workplace Mistreatment in a Law Firm
Joanne's Story
In the realm of employment law, cases that shed light on the persistence of gender discrimination and unequal treatment in the workplace continue to emerge. One such case is that of Joanne, a former employee of a small law firm in the Greater Boston area. Her story is a testament to the challenges faced by women in the legal profession and the fight for justice in the workplace.
The Background: Joanne began her career with the firm as a salaried employee. Her journey with the firm was marked by a series of troubling events that unfolded over the course of her employment. Joanne suffered from a medical disability that was known to her employer, but did not affect her ability to do her job. Office Discrimination and Unequal Treatment: Despite her dedication and hard work, Joanne's name was conspicuously absent from the front entrance of the office, where she worked alongside two male, non-disabled attorneys. This omission sent a clear message that her contributions were not valued equally. Office Relocation and Denied Accommodation: Two years into her employment, Joanne was asked to vacate her office to make room for a younger, male, non-disabled attorney. This move posed a challenge for Joanne, as she was preparing for a post-cancer surgery scheduled shortly after the relocation. She sought alternative solutions, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her disability, deafness in her left ear, was not accommodated, and she found herself in workspaces ill-suited for her condition. Business Opportunity Denied: Joanne's career faced another setback when she was denied a promising business development opportunity due to a perceived conflict with arrangements between some male attorneys at the firm and a local real estate group. The firm's failure to address this issue left Joanne at a disadvantage in her professional growth. Termination and Unpaid Wages: Joanne's employment with the firm was abruptly terminated. This was accompanied by the failure to fully compensate her for wages earned and accrued vacation time. Remarkably, the firm asked her to continue serving her clients for several months after the termination. Legal ClaimsJoanne's legal claims included the following:
Gender and disability discrimination: The firm engaged in discriminatory practices, such as denying her reasonable accommodations, unequal treatment compared to male colleagues, failing to include her name on office signage, and removing her office privileges. Retaliation: The timing of her termination, and some of the other unfavorable decisions of the firm, suggested retaliation for her disability discrimination, and retaliation for her objections to their discriminatory actions. Wage Act Violations: The firm's failure to pay Joanne all of her earned commissions at termination, and requirement that she continue to provide services to clients after her termination without pay, were both violations of the Massachusetts wage and hour laws. |
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Our Solution
We worked with Joanne to identify her legal claims, and brought two separate lawsuits: one in the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ("MCAD") for her gender and disability discrimination claims, and a second in Superior Court for her wage claims. Once the discrimination claim was pulled from MCAD and joined with the wage claim, we were able to negotiate a favorable settlement for her.
How Our Employment Lawyers Can Help
Are you in a similar situation? We have years of experience helping people with discrimination and retaliation issues, and we would be happy to help. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.
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